Tennis Stars Slot Machine

Pros

• Great bonus features. Tennis Stars has a total of three different exciting features. From the action of the championship game to the potentially lucrative free spin mode, there’s plenty to engage players even after repeat visits.
• Players are given full control over where their money goes on Tennis Stars. They can adjust the number of win lines active, the value of each coin, and the number of coins bet per line.

Cons

• Even though it plays great, Tennis Stars is not a looker by 2017 standards. There’s no on-reel animation and the artwork is rather uninspired.
• The music can drive you insane. It’s a sort of 90’s arcade game style loop that isn’t fresh on first listen, let alone fiftieth. Fortunately, it can be muted easily enough.

Top Jackpots

The top jackpots in Tennis Stars are won by matching five-of-a-kind of one of the higher value symbols across a single win line. These will pay as follows:

• Either tennis pro = 5,000x the line bet.
• Tennis shoes or ball = 1,000x the line bet.

Game Features

Certainly, one of the best things about the Tennis Stars slot machine is its extensive features. These bonuses not only keep the game fresh, they can also be incredibly lucrative.

Championship bonus

Landing three or more tennis racquet “scatter” symbols anywhere on the reels will trigger the Championship Bonus. In this game feature, players must play a match of tennis versus the computer. The match begins after they choose whether to play Men’s Singles, or Women’s Singles. The first serve goes to the player and they’re presented with options for either a flat serve or slice serve. Following their selection, the point is played out.

During the game, the player might win or lose points but they always win the match. The result determines the cash prize awarded and the number of aces achieved determines the multiplier. Below is a table with all possible pay outs for the Championship bonus listed:

Scores & Awards:

Win – 0 = x50
Win – 15 = x15
win – 30 = x10

Aces:

0 = x1
1 = x2
2 = x3
3 = x4
4 = x5

Free games

Landing simultaneous trophy “wilds” anywhere on reels two, three, and four simultaneously will award an instant payment of 10x the total bet and fifteen free games with a 3x multiplier. Players should note that during the free games bonus, any winnings that might be awarded during the Championship Bonus are not tripled.

Hitting “wild” symbols on reels two, three, and four again during the free spins will award the same bonus again. This dynamic can occur indefinitely. There is no limit to the number of consecutive free spins that can be won.

Gamble

Tennis Stars also features a gamble option. Following any single win, players are given the opportunity to gamble their winnings on a simple “red or black” guessing game. To initiate the mode, they must first win a prize and click gamble. They’ll be taken to another screen and presented with a single face down playing card with an option to guess either red or black.

After making their selection, the colour of the card in the centre is revealed. Correct guesses win a full double up of the original prize, whilst incorrect picks forfeit any winnings. The maximum winnings possible from this side game is an impressive R108 000.

Regular Symbols

In addition to the tennis related, higher value symbols, there are also some that award lesser prizes. These have been taken from the upper end of a deck of playing cards (A, K, Q, J, 10, 9). Five-of-a-kind of each will pay as follows:

• Ace or King = 400x the line bet.
• Queen or Jack = 250x the line bet.
• Ten or Nine = 100x the line bet.

Betting Limits

Players are given total control over their betting sizes and distribution on Tennis Stars. They can adjust the value of each coin (1p-R100), how many are bet per line (1-10), and how many lines to bet them across (1-40).

This means that with all values set to the minimum, the lowest possible bet per spin is just 1p. Meanwhile, by setting all values to the maximum, high rollers will be pleased to learn that the maximum possible bet is R43 000 per spin.

What We Think

Tennis Stars from Playtech is a great machine. It’s full of interesting features and they’ve been worked into the theme well. The top jackpot is a decent one and if it were to be combined with one of the bonus multipliers could be enormous.

Unfortunately, the game isn’t perfect. Whilst it might have been in 2006, today, the dated graphics and lack of animation make it feel old. Don’t get us wrong, there is still a lot of fun to be had on the game, it just isn’t as visually appealing as some of its modern peers. That said, a 2017 reboot would be cool, if anyone at Playtech is reading this.